Having an online presence has been one of the most important things for businesses for a while. In 2022 it will become even more important.
Cultivating your online influence is an ongoing process that comes down to two things:
1 – Creating Quality Content
2 – Engaging Your Audience
You can see content everywhere.
Offline content comes in the form of brochures, handouts, and even business cards.
Since it is something that you can physically feel, it appeals to all five of your senses.
Online content is crucial for all types of businesses. But since people cannot touch it or put it in their pock, doing the same online is quite a bit more challenging. You have to win hearts and minds with words, visuals, and audio.
But creating quality content is not enough. If you do not find a way to promote it, it will just sit on your website collecting the digital dust. You will need to create a system to help your content find its way to your audience.
We compiled five practical tactics to help get your content (and your message) in front of more people.
1 – Become a guest contributor
Blogging is a great way to make sure your website and online platforms are active while you are building a reputation as someone knowledgeable in the industry.
That being said, don’t think that your website is the only place where you can publish your posts.
When you become a guest contributor on other sites, you are getting the chance to come into contact with a different audience who may check out your site.
It’s important to keep your blog active, and most businesses choose to upload blog posts weekly at a minimum.
Try to blog on other sites a couple of times a month. This may take some time, but it isn’t as time-consuming as you’d think. The ability to reach new audiences will allow you to expand your own and increase your online influence.
Look for other similar sites and pitch your blog ideas to them. Many blogs accepting guest posts will state that on their website.
A few additional resources for you to find blogs accepting guest posts:
1 – Subscribe to HARO (Help a Reporter Out) daily newsletter and look for pitch queries by the reporters.
2 – Check out a list of 350 Guest Posting Sites broken down by different industries
3 – Check your competitors’ blogs via SEMRush or Ahrefs tools. Look at the top sites linking to your competition – pitch your ideas and articles to these sites.
If everything else fails you can purchase some of the backlinks, but only from reputable sources, so do some homework first.
2 – Leverage social media
Social media is a powerful marketing tool. Just as in your blog, you’ll need to be active and regularly publish content online.
However, it is a two-way communication tool. In addition to publishing relevant, interesting content for your audience to read, it’s also important for you to interact with others. Find sites and influencers who are active online and engage with them.
Ask relevant questions and answer questions that your prospects and customers ask.
If you can get your followers to talk and discuss things with you, it’s all the better. This makes you more active and contributes to your name as a knowledgeable industry professional.
3 – Incorporate search engine optimization
Despite some rumors, SEO is NOT dead. Creating quality original content is an SEO tactic of its own, but you can also give your content an additional boost via SEO.
Search engine optimization will contribute to your online visibility. The higher your content appears in search results, the better.
It won’t only help your blog, but also your article marketing, social media marketing, and much more. Just being visible will increase traffic and help you reach new audiences.
Some of the top strategies to consider while creating your content:
1 – Create a list of focus keywords and topics to use in your content
2 – Work with other authority sites and influencers in your industry to promote and link to your content
3 – Create a link strategy to link to both your own content and other content in support of your message
4 – Don’t neglect email marketing
Although email marketing is often thought to be an old marketing technique, the fact of the matter is that it is still an incredibly effective tool.
It allows you to talk directly to your prospects with their blessing. You can generate email leads in several ways, utilizing your website, social media sites, and even your blog.
Connecting with leads through email is a great way to strike up a conversation and spark up some interest even when you weren’t able to on Facebook.
1 – If you do not already collect leads for your email list, it is time to start now.
2 – Regularly engage with your email list. Use a variety of tactics: from regular newsletter to drip campaigns sent to the specific subscriber segments.
3 -Cold email can be a great tool for making connections with your audience. Be authentic and unique in your messages.
If you get a bit more adventurous, you can combine your email campaigns with messenger bots.
5 – Cater to mobile users
A growing number of consumers are using mobile devices to browse. If your site isn’t optimized for mobile use, you aren’t reaching all the customers you could be.
It’s easier than ever to develop a responsive site that will cater to users of any device. It also makes it easier as you don’t have to create a website and a mobile site – one responsive site will do the job.
That’s all there is to it!
By blogging frequently on other sites, using social media to your advantage, incorporating SEO, remembering to do your email marketing, and catering to mobile users, you’ll be seeing growth in your online influence in no time!
